Hounded
by Lady Genjutsu
Summary: Not everyone regards Koroku as the lovable stray. Poor Nash.


Disclaimer: I don't own Nash, Koroku, Suikoden, etc...  
  
A/N: All those complaints Nash left in the comment box about the dogs in the castle let me to write this. I originally wanted all five dogs involved, but decided to keep it down to just Koroku for the simplicity's sake. That may change if I ever decide to do a sequel. My apologies for any out-of-characterness with Nash. I tried pretty hard, but in sometimes in ridiculous situations it's hard to tell for certain what he'd do.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hounded  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
For about thirty seconds after he woke up that morning at Budehuc castle, Nash was in a great mood.  
  
Then he rolled out of bed and found himself standing in a puddle of urine.  
  
The Harmonian's impeccably cool and calm demeanor vanished, and his face flushed with anger.  
  
"Koroku!" he hissed between clenched teeth. Damn that mangy mutt!  
  
It had been the sixth time this week. And it was only Monday.  
  
Nash stormed out of his room (after changing into a fresh pair of socks) and glared around the hallway, already thinking of all the many cruel ways he would deal with the weak-bladdered mutt.  
  
His murderous conviction towards the animal was postponed as he turned the corner of the hallway and came face to face with the Lady Chris.  
  
Immediately Nash flashed his most charming smile at the Zexen knight, turning on the charm. "Why if it isn't the iron-clad beauty, here to grace us lowly Budehuc locals with her regal presence."  
  
The platinum haired woman raised an eyebrow, her face otherwise remaining expressionless. "Where were you going in such a hurry?" she asked with a tinge of cynicism, apparently having chosen to ignore the sarcasm in his greeting.  
  
"Who says I'm in a hurry?"  
  
"Why else would you be running around the halls in your socked feet?"  
  
Nash's eyes widened momentarily, realizing that in his blind rage he had forgotten to put his boots on before leaving his room. He looked down at his shoeless feet and then back to Chris with a sheepish grin.  
  
"What can I say Chris, you make me want to shed my clothes."  
  
Chris' eyebrows slanted in the expected response of anger mixed with disgust. She shook her head. "Why is it that I haven't thrown you in the castle prison yet?"  
  
Nash shrugged. "Too much pride I expect. Throwing me in prison means you admit that I get to you. That or you're secretly in love with me, which is the more likely reason."  
  
Now Chris' face was flushing with rage. "How dare you -"  
  
"OW!" Nash yelped.  
  
The two looked down to see Koroku chewing happily away on Nash's left ankle.  
  
"Get off of me you dirty fleabag!" Nash leaped backwards, shaking his leg in attempt to loosen the little dog's sharp teeth on his leg to no success.  
  
Chris gave a small smile. "How's that karma, Nash?"  
  
Nash forced a pained smile before the small canine tugged off his sock and initiated him in a game of tug o' war.  
  
"Give it back!" Nash's continued to pull on his end of the cloth, which was now stretched into a sickly shape unbefitting to a sock.  
  
Of course, Chris didn't lift a finger to help, and instead turned her back to them, and walked away snickering, "I would have thought you'd have gotten along better with your own kind, Nash."  
  
Nash shot a death glare at her retreating back.  
  
With one great tug far more powerful than what could be expected of a dog his size, Koroku ripped the demented sock from Nash's grasp and sped down the stairs and out of the building.  
  
Nash chased him, but the little dog was too fast, and when he emerged from the building, he found himself standing alone in the mud, shoeless and half sockless. It started to pour rain.  
  
Perfect.  
  
"Is something the matter Nash, sir? You look rather... frazzled."  
  
Nash turned his head to see Thomas, the castle master, watching him uncertainly.  
  
"It's that damned dog Koroku! He urinated on my floor!"  
  
"I'm terribly sorry Nash sir, but I'm sure that just means he feels your part of the 'pack', you should take it as a compliment."  
  
"He bit my leg!"  
  
"I'm sure he was just playing."  
  
"He ran off with my sock!"  
  
"Well...um..."  
  
"I must insist that you get rid of him!" Nash finally said angrily.  
  
The teenage boy suppressed a small smile, but shook his head. "I am sorry, but I just couldn't do that. Everyone here loves having him around, and besides, Koroku has no other home to go to."  
  
"Then find him one! He's a useless menace!"  
  
Again, the master of the castle shook his head. "I'm sorry Nash, but I couldn't do that to him. Besides, Cecile says he's a great watchdog."  
  
"Could you at least tell me where the beast went so I can retrieve my sock?!"  
  
"I saw him run down towards the front gate, probably to report to Cecile."  
  
Nash stormed off muttering how ridiculous it was to assume that the dog would actually have anything to report to a little girl in oversized armor.  
  
He reached the gate, still in his sock/bear feet, but he was met with despair, as Koroku was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Why sir Nash, you look simply terrible! Why ever are you out in this pouring rain without your boots on?!" The blonde-haired blue-eyed girl had turned to face him and she peered up at him with concern.  
  
"Where is that damned dog!?"  
  
"Um... Which one?"  
  
"I don't know. Koroku, Kogoro, Koichi, Kooky, their names are all the same to me!"  
  
"You seem angry."  
  
"Did you see a dog run by here or not?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes, Koroku just came to report to me, but he seemed preoccupied with this horribly stinky old sock."  
  
"Horribly. Stinky?"  
  
"Oh, I tell you it was dreadful!"  
  
Nash's eye was twitching. "Which way did it go?"  
  
"Um... towards the ranch I think..."  
  
Nash stormed off towards the ranch without another word. He was even more drenched and miserable when he arrived at the ranch to see that there was no Koroku in sight. There was however, a recently dug mound of dirt near the stables, with a piece of grayish cloth just visible from underneath.  
  
Nash dug through the mound of dirt to pull out the incredibly stretched out- of-shape, soggy, mud and horse-dung splotched sock.  
  
He trudged through the mud and rain back towards, the castle, his mind fuming with how anyone in the castle could find the dog even remotely tolerable, let alone useful to the Fire Bringer in some way. He hoped to return to his room and go back to bed and not be called on until late next week.  
  
However, once inside the castle, he saw little muddy dog prints and paused. He followed them up the stairs and down the hall... Right into his room.  
  
Nash stood in the doorway and pushed the door open weakly. There, in the center of the bed, sprawled all over the sheets, was Koroku, sleeping. He smelt like thirty wet dogs at once, and he must have rolled around in every single mud puddle and pile of dung there was on the Budehuc premises. He simply black with dirt.  
  
"YOU!" Nash hollered. The little dog awoke with a start, and leapt off the bed, running around his room, knocking things over and getting everything covered in mud.  
  
Nash bent over and grabbed Koroku by the scruff of his neck and threw him outside in the hall, using ever inch of his willpower to keep himself from snapping the animal's neck.  
  
No sooner had he closed the door and sat down when there was a knock.  
  
"Come in," he mumbled.  
  
Hugo entered, a bewildered expression on his face as he looked around at the smelly muddy room and finally rested his gaze on the equally soiled Nash.  
  
"Uh... You have five minutes, we've decided to take you with us on the next mission."  
  
Nash rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Right."  
  
"... Maybe I'll give you ten to give you a change to clean up a little."  
  
"Gee thanks."  
  
Hugo nodded awkwardly and headed out of the room. He paused at the door.  
  
"Oh and um... Please try to keep your clothes and sheets a little cleaner, Luce works hard on the laundry you know..."  
  
Nash didn't care enough anymore to correct him on the situation. "Right."  
  
"And uh... Really, clean yourself up a little, you smell terrible!"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah, like wet dog!" 


End file.
